Pet care certification

BANGOR – Green Acres Kennel shop co-owner Paula Hanson and kennel manager Adam Morrison have passed the American Boarding Kennel Association level II certification exam covering pet care, personnel management and business development. They have earned the title of certified advanced pet care technicians.

Basic record keeping

BANGOR – Basic record keeping for the small and homed-based business owner will be featured in a two-part workshop 6-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, and Wednesday, March 8, at the Cooperative Extension, 307 Maine Ave. Presenter will be James McConnon, business and economic specialist. Workshop fee is $8.

The workshop will help business owners learn the basic principles of single entry record keeping and how to apply the principles to the day-to-day operation of the business. Types of business records, the recording of income and expense items using revenue, and expense journals also will be covered.

To register for the workshop, call 942-7396, or (800) 287-1485.

Rural Development

BANGOR – Michael W. Aube, state director of USDA Rural Development, announced that Valarie Flanders of Plymouth has been selected to fill the position of assistant to the state director at the Bangor office. She will provide leadership and advice in identifying community needs, resources and problems. She also will work closely with local and state officials in stimulating interest in plans and programs for community development. She was promoted from her previous position as business and cooperative program specialist.

Flanders has more than 20 years of experience with the agency. Throughout her career she has worked in the multi- and single family housing programs, community facility programs, water and waste programs and most recently with business programs. She is the former president of the Maine Association of Credit Specialists and is the current president of the National Association of Credit Specialists.

Quilting business

WINTERPORT – Sun’s Up Quilting Classes, owned by quilting teacher Nancy Ronco, opened for business Feb. 4. Located at 25 Back Winterport Road, the business offers a quilting classroom equipped with a professional long-arm quilting machine. Classes are available for those of all ages. To learn more, call 223-5950.

Financial advising

BANGOR – Financial adviser Judy A. Groth has received high ratings from her clients in Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., formerly American Express Financial Advisors.

Groth is in the top 27 percent of advisers whose clients rated them highly in areas including overall satisfaction and financial knowledge. She is a senior financial adviser with Groth & Associates on Hammond Street.

Development awards

ORONO – The Maine Technology Institute board of directors recently approved development awards to two technology companies in Orono. More than $1.5 million was awarded, matched by approximately $3.7 million from other sources.

. Maine Halibut Farms in Orono received a grant to demonstrate commercial scale viability of its land based fish farming technology, which will provide live and fresh-farmed halibut for sale on a year-round basis. The company will use MTI funds to test and optimize its rearing technology based on results of an ongoing trial of preliminary system designs and operations.

. Maine Specialty Materials LLC in Orono currently develops a prototype zeolite photocatalyst being tested for the remediation of nerve agent simulants and actual agents at the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center. The company will use MTI funding to expand its efforts in zeolite manufacturing by upgrading both catalyst synthesis and screening capabilities. The scope of work includes prototype development and testing.

Companies funded by MTI are leveraging nearly $200 million from public and private sources and are creating jobs faster with higher wages than the average Maine company.

Information about development awards is available at www.mainetechnology.org/.